1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a locking device for a spare wheel cradle mounted to pivot under the floor of an automobile, the cradle being able to be released from inside the automobile by a control connected to a locking mechanism.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Retaining devices are known in which the locking mechanism comprises a housing mounted under the flow, a retaining hook for the cradle and a safety hook, the cradle causing its automatic locking by the retaining hook when it is put in place under the floor. This type of device is particularly described and represented in French Patent Application No. 78.02.471 corresponding to French Pat. No. 2,415,708 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,317,533.
The presence of the safety hook is due to safety standards which provide for this hook to prevent the accidental release of the spare wheel from the cradle in case of inadvertent operation by the driver of the vehicle or in case the retaining hook is broken. Often it is found that, after a normal use of the retaining device, when changing a wheel of the vehicle, the cradle is held only by the safety hook and is not locked in position by the retaining hook. This poor positioning occurs generally when the driver has not reset the cradle with a force sufficient to engage the retaining hook and to cause the automatic locking of this retaining hook and when the driver has not performed the manual locking of the retaining hook.